Kierra Anthony named first team All-Conference USA

RUSTON, La. – Louisiana Tech senior Kierra Anthony took home some more hardware on Monday when she was named first team all-Conference USA by a vote of the league coaches and media members.

Anthony earned the third all-conference award of her career, after being named second team all-conference as a sophomore and junior.

“I am so proud of Kierra for what she has done on the court, but even more for how she has handled herself off the court,” said Tech head coach Brooke Stoehr. “She has really matured the last few years and has focused hard on getting her degree. She is scheduled to graduate in May.

“On the court she has had some incredible performances this season for us. We have really relied on her to score the basketball and many times we have put her on the best perimeter player for the opposing team. She has been so explosive on the offensive end for us.”

The New Iberia, La., native averages 23.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.1 steals per game for Tech this season while shooting 49 percent from the field and 87 percent from the free throw line. She connected on 30 three-pointers during the year while leading the team in scoring, assists and steals and ranking second in rebounds.

Anthony, who ranks No. 1 in the league and No. 4 in the nation in scoring, scored in double figures in 28 of 29 games for Tech while eclipsing the 20-point plateau in 20 games. She tied the single season Tech record with seven games of 30-plus points.

She set a LA Tech and Conference USA single game record with 50 points in a 100-88 win over Houston in November. Anthony scored 45 points in a 106-85 win over Southern Miss in early February.

Anthony will lead Louisiana Tech into this week’s Conference USA Tournament. Tech is scheduled to open play Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. vs. Charlotte at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

Stahly Named Academic All-American

Louisiana Tech senior Taylor Stahly made history Monday becoming the 16^th student-athlete in University history to be named a Google Cloud Academic All-American presented by CoSIDA.

The Newton, Kansas, native was named third team All-American, joining Youngstown State’s Mary Dunn, Central Michigan’s Reyna Frost, Ohio State’s Carmen Grande and Drake’s Becca Hittner. The Google Cloud Academic All-American teams are comprised of 5 student-athletes on each of the first, second and third teams meaning Stahly is one of only 15 Division I women’s basketball players to receive the prestigious honor.

“We congratulate Taylor for earning such well-deserved recognition for her pursuit of excellence in the classroom and on the court,” said Tech head coach Brooke Stoehr S”he is the consummate student athlete and represents Louisiana Tech and the Lady Techsters in such a positive way. We commend her for the effort she has put forth and the commitment to being successful academically and athletically during her time in Ruston.”

Stahly is the only Conference USA honoree and the only player from a state of Louisiana college to earn the honor this season. She boasts a 4.0 grade point average in kinesiology and health promotions and is scheduled to graduate this summer.

She is a two-time Conference USA All-Academic Team member (comprised of only 5 student-athletes) and was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District 6 Team earlier this season. She was named to the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and was a C-USA Academic Medalist as a junior.

This marks Stahly’s second Academic All-American honor after being selected as a National Junior College Athletic Association Academic All-American as a sophomore at Hutchison Community College.

This marks the eighth time in the last 10 years that Louisiana Tech placed a student-athlete on a CoSIDA Academic All-American Team.